Retarded
by Siriusly Amused
Summary: Draco and Tonks find themselves in an alternate universe in which blood is everything and incest is common. Forced into marriage by their family, the two find themselves having to act like a loving couple as they try desperately to get back home.
1. Chapter 1

**Retarded**  
By Siriusly Amused

-

Chapter One

Tonks stirred as her brain slowly surfaced back to consciousness. The sound of birds chirping combined with the deep, even breathing of someone lying next to her filled her ears, calling her from sleep. She groaned softly, burying her face into the warm flesh next to her, her lips twisting into a grin as she felt the arm around her waist tighten protectively, drawing her nearer.

She loved waking up next to Remus Lupin. Even in the midst of war, when their friends were dying left and right and their own lives and happiness were threatened daily, the simple act of waking up next to the man she loved had a way of easing her stress. Her grin widened as she blindly moved her hand to rest upon his arm, caressing it gently—and then she frowned.

His skin was too smooth, the muscles underneath too firm. She gently trailed her hand over his shoulder and down to his chest: it was hairless and lean. Something was wrong. Her eyes shot open, her vision filling with the image of a chest and arm that looked as though it belonged to a young, fit man. Pulling back slightly, her breath caught in her chest as her eyes fell upon the face of the young man she was sleeping with. She suddenly felt very sick as recognition hit her.

His blonde hair was longer than she remembered it, his shoulders a bit wider, and his face relaxed in sleep, but there was no mistaking who he was: Draco Malfoy. And judging by their apparent state of nakedness, as well as the fact that the sheets were twisted around them with a musky smell still clinging to them, they had done something that first cousins definitely should not do.

"Fuck!" Tonks cursed, pushing herself away from her cousin as though she had been electrocuted. Draco's brow knitted in his sleep as he reached his arm out in search for the warmth that had just left him. Tonks swatted his wandering hand away, her breaths coming in sharp, shallow gasps. She felt dizzy and had to swallow the bile creeping up her throat.

She sat up, pulling the sheet around her breasts as she began to rock back and forth.

"Oh Merlin," she moaned, bringing her hands to pull at her hair. She paused momentarily, running a hand through her locks, which were long and chestnut in color. She stared at her hair quizzically for a moment, wondering when the last time she had long, chestnut hair was. Her pondering was short lived, however, seeing as Draco was stirring. He groaned and rolled onto his back, bringing a hand to run over his face.

"Oh Merlin, Draco. Don't wake up. Do yourself a favor and don't wake up," she warned softly. Her warning was useless; Draco pulled his hand away from his face and slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the sunshine and staring up at the ceiling. He inhaled deeply, his lips pulling upward. Tonks winced and had to bite her lip to keep from groaning audibly; they had the same smile: the smile that they shared with other members of their family; the smile that had graced wanted posters back when Bellatrix and Sirius were on the run. She had never noticed it before.

"Oh Merlin," Tonks groaned again, pulling her knees up and bending forward to rest her head on them, her long locks draping over her features. She felt Draco startle next to her.

"You're not Pansy!" he exclaimed; his voice was the same as it had always been, and yet it sounded so unfamiliar to Tonks' ears.

"No, I'm not," Tonks groaned, keeping her forehead on her knees so that her hair continued to hide her face from Draco.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Panicked and not wanting to deal with the fact that she had slept with her cousin, Tonks concentrated on changing her facial features; she'd pretend that she was just some random girl that Draco had picked up at a pub or something. However, her heartbeat increased when she realized that she was unable to change; her Metamorphmagus ability was gone.

"I asked who you are," Draco pressed. His voice was firm, but he sounded more shocked and confused than actually angry.

Realizing that she'd have to deal with the situation sooner or later, Tonks slowly lifted her head and gazed at Draco. His brow knitted as he stared at her; he looked as though he recognized her but couldn't place her. She sighed.

"Wotcher, Draco."

"Bloody fucking hell!" Draco exclaimed loudly. He jumped out of bed, pulling the sheets with him and wrapping them around his waist firmly, though this left Tonks naked and exposed in bed.

"Dammit, Draco!" she shouted. Her head turned to and fro frantically as she searched for something to cover herself with. She reached for the pillow and clutched it to her front.

Draco was standing at the side of the bed, breathing heavily as one hand firmly grasping the sheet at his waist while the other pulled his long locks away from his face.

"Where are we? How did we get here? What did we do!?" he asked. His eyes were wide as he stared at the center of the bed; it appeared as though he couldn't bring himself to actually look at her.

"I don't know, but it looks like we had…"

"DON'T SAY IT!" he shouted, his face contorting with disgust. He shuddered violently and turned away from the bed. "Oh Merlin, I'm gonna be sick."

"DON'T YOU DARE!" she shouted back, though her own stomach was churning uncomfortably.

"Now what on Earth is going on in here?"

Both Tonks and Draco turned at the voice, and both jumped in surprise when their eyes fell upon the stout, red-headed woman standing in the room.

"Molly?" Tonks asked, her mind reeling as she took in the woman's appearance. Her red hair was pulled back into a bun and she was dressed in sensible black robes with a white apron; she looked like a maid.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes turned towards Tonks, her expression slightly startled, as though she were shocked that Tonks had called her by her actual name.

"Yes, Miss Black?" Mrs. Weasley asked formally.

Draco and Tonks exchanged confused glances at the name. Why was she being addressed by her mother's maiden name?

Mrs. Weasley was still peering inquisitively at her, so Tonks raked her brain for something to say.

"Um, do you know what happened?" she asked. She saw Draco roll his eyes at the lame question, but she ignored him.

Mrs. Weasley glanced around the room, noting the random items of clothing on the floor and furniture; Tonks blushed when her own eyes fell upon a pair of panties hanging on the corner of the wardrobe.

"Well, Miss, by the looks of things, I'd say you two couldn't wait until the wedding."

There was a moment of silence as both Draco and Tonks registered what the woman said. Then they both groaned audibly; Tonks resumed rocking back and forth, clutching the pillow to her chest. Draco was swearing and mentioning that he might be sick.

"There, there," Mrs. Weasley said as she began to collect the discarded clothes and drape them over her arm. "You two aren't the first who couldn't wait."

Their groans increased before halting at the sound of an icy voice by the doorway:

"What did you do?"

Tonks stilled in her rocking when she heard the voice; Draco had also fallen silent. Glancing up, Tonks' worst suspicions were confirmed: Bellatrix Lestrange was standing in the room, having entered from the door that Mrs. Weasley had left open. She looked much different: dressed in elegant robes, her hair smooth and curling gracefully at the ends and her face beautiful, though drawn together in a scowl as she stared at Mrs. Weasley.

The Weasley matriarch did not turn to face Bellatrix.

"I merely came in here to wake Mr. Malfoy like I normally do," she explained as she finished gathering the discarded clothes.

Bellatrix immediately directed her icy stare at Tonks and Draco. Draco paled and took several steps back, and Tonks quirked her eyebrow at him. He was pureblood and Slytherin, the favored nephew; why would he be scared of their aunt?

"Did she interrupt you?" Bellatrix asked them, her voice warmer than when she was addressing Mrs. Weasley.

Draco shook his head quickly, his eyes wide.

Bellatrix pursed her lips together in disappointment. She turned towards Mrs. Weasley. "You may leave now," she said softly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Black," Mrs. Weasley said as she walked out of the room.

Draco and Tonks exchanged glances again. Mrs. Weasley had called their aunt by her maiden name, yet she had also used the title of a married woman.

'_What kind of messed up world are we in?'_ Tonks asked herself. She startled slightly when her gaze fell back on Bellatrix, who was smiling warmly at them; she didn't think the woman was capable of warmth.

"Oh don't look so upset," Bellatrix said lightly, clapping her hands together and smiling as she strode across the room and opened the wardrobe. She pulled out a silk robe and walked closer to the bed, wrapping the garment around Tonks' bare shoulders.

Tonks wanted to recoil away from the woman, but was struck dumb with shock, her arms going obligingly into the sleeves of the robe. She even stood and allowed the woman to close the robe and tie the sash.

"You two aren't the first to be caught in the act before the wedding," Bellatrix continued conversationally. "I promise you no one will say a thing! As a matter of fact, your mothers will be pleased; they were afraid that you two weren't happy with the engagement."

"Engagement?" Tonks asked, her voice very soft as she felt all the color drain from her face. They had mentioned a wedding before, but Tonks was just now realizing that the wedding in question might be between her and her cousin.

Bellatrix's smile widened as a soft chuckle escaped her lips. Her dark eyes glanced over Tonks' shoulder to where Draco was still standing on the opposite side of the bed.

"Oh, Draco, dear, you've absolutely besotted her!" she commented before turning her gaze back to Tonks and running her hands up and down Tonks' upper arms. "You two are engaged, love," she said, reaching down to Tonks' left hand and bringing it up for Tonks to see: a large emerald ring sat on her ring finger.

Tonks felt her legs give way.

* * *

**End Author's Note:** I got the idea for this story over a year ago. I sat down one night and wrote a very depressing one shot titled "Retarded" that featured Sirius and Bellatrix in Azkaban, reflecting on how much they hated each other even though they were family. I didn't like it, so I deleted it, and a little later, I got an idea for a fic where Tonks goes to an alternate universe where blood purity didn't matter and the Black family was still together and happy, and she befriends her cousin, Draco. Then, a few weeks ago, I was going to write that story...but this came out instead. And I'm now on chapter 5 and, despite the whole incest thing, I really like this fic. I was going to wait until I had it all written (because I'm guessing that I only have 5 or 6 more chapters to go before finishing it), but I'm impatient. So I'm posting the first two chapters today. Read on and remember to review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Retarded**  
By Siriusly Amused

-

Chapter Two

The large, marble tub was almost filled, yet Tonks continued to pace the bathroom, her arms crossed over her chest in an effort to qualm the shaking that had started as soon as her legs had given way back in Draco's room. Bellatrix had caught her and kept her upright, her hands holding her firmly as she led her out of Draco's room, down a long hallway and into another bedroom that Tonks assumed was her own; it was decorated in pastels with floral arrangements, and Tonks scrunched her nose with distaste as Bellatrix sat her down on the bed.

"Dora, darling, are you alright?" the older woman asked, sitting down beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Tonks shuddered at the embrace, almost wishing she were back in Draco's arms instead; it was a thought that made her stomach churn.

"You're shuddering, dear," Bellatrix continued. She paused, bringing one hand to tuck a stray lock of Tonks' chestnut hair behind her ear. "Was it your first time?"

Tonks found herself shaking her head fiercely. "No! Merlin, no!" she exclaimed.

A part of her wanted to push the woman away. To call her ugly names and to find her wand and hex her. This was Bellatrix Lestrange! The woman who had killed their cousin, among others, in cold blood! But that was obviously in a different world, and this Bellatrix—Bellatrix Black—was lovingly brushing back Tonks' hair and trying to calm her down. The shock of the situation left Tonks feeling weak and shaky; she couldn't even raise her voice, much less torture the woman next to her.

"I need a bath," Tonks said at once, rising to her feet and stumbling to the adjoining bathroom. She slammed the door in her aunt's face and locked it.

"I'll see you down at breakfast then, dear," Bellatrix said after a moment's pause.

Tonks didn't reply. She leaned against the door, her chest rising and falling with every breath. After a few moments, her breathing slowed and she walked across the elaborate bathroom and turned on the tab to the bath. She then began her pacing, her mind reeling as she tried to figure out what exactly was happening.

She and Draco were obviously in an alternate universe, but how they had gotten there, she didn't know. Tonks tried to think back to the last thing she remembered before waking up in bed with Draco, but all she could recall was a blinding flash of light. She sighed and turned towards the mirror, her gaze falling upon her reflection, causing her to startle slightly; she looked different than she normally did. With her long, wavy chestnut locks, she looked almost exactly like her mother, all hints of her father having vanished, and Tonks had to wonder if she even had the same father in this world as she did in the other. Obviously inbreeding was common here.

She shuddered again as she thought about how she had found herself in bed with her cousin. She looked down at her left hand with disgust and yanked the offending ring off. She wanted to flush it down the toilet, but she ended up merely throwing it on the vanity angrily before stripping off her robe and getting into the bath, where she scrubbed herself raw in an effort to feel clean again. The water was cold by the time she gave up.

Fifteen minutes later she was dry and dressed, and she marched back down the hall to Draco's room. Her stomach twisted with disgust at having to see him again after the morning they had, but she needed to talk to him; maybe he remembered how they had gotten there.

"Don't touch anything, Ginny; it's disgusting."

Tonks paused at the door, the voice ringing with familiarity. She stepped inside Draco's room and gasped when she saw Ron and Ginny, clad in the same plain, black robes their mother was wearing, though lacking aprons, using magic to strip the sheets off of Draco's bed.

"Ron!" Tonks exclaimed. "Ginny!" Relief filled her chest over seeing their familiar faces.

Both Weasleys turned to her questioningly. Ron even raised a shocked eyebrow. "You know our names," he stated, sounding as though he barely believed it.

"Of course I do!" Tonks replied, punching Ron lightly on the arm. "Why wouldn't I?"

Ron and Ginny exchanged confused glances before turning wordlessly away from Tonks, using their wands to summon clean sheets to Draco's bed. Tonks' heart sank as realization dawned on her; they, like their mother, were servants.

"Is there anything you need, Miss Black?" Ron asked, keeping his back to her.

Tonks' face fell at the formality in his voice. For the first time since she had awakened in that place, despair welled in her chest. It was beginning to dawn on her that she was in a world where she loved those whom she hated, and hated those whom she loved.

She wanted to reach out to Ron and Ginny, to hug them and tell them that she wasn't who they thought she was, but she refrained. Just looking at them informed her of how different things in this world were. Ginny's long locks were gone, hacked off into an uneven pixie cut. The robes that she wore were too big on her and covered her curves, causing her to look even more like a boy. Ron's hair and face looked the same as Tonks remembered, but as her eyes drifted downward, she realized that his shoulders were much broader; and when he pulled back the sleeves of his robes while making Draco's bed, Tonks saw that his arms were taut with muscles and covered with angry scars; they looked like Charlie's arms, the arms of a worker.

"Miss Black?" Ginny asked softly, and Tonks had to shake herself slightly. They had asked her if she needed anything, and she had just stared at them.

She was about to tell them that she didn't need anything—she didn't want them waiting on her anyway—but then she remembered why she had come into the room in the first place.

"Um, do you know where Draco is?" she asked. Her eyes shot from one red head to the other, wishing that they would look at her as they used to—as a friend, not a superior.

"He already went down to breakfast," came a reply from the door. Tonks turned, nearly losing her footing as she did so, and gasped when she saw Hermione Granger standing in the doorway.

Or at least the girl _looked_ like Hermione.

Her normally bushy hair was tamed into elegant curls that were pulled back from her face with a headband. She was wearing make-up, an expensive dress, and an expression of complete disinterest as she gazed past Tonks to stare at the two Weasleys.

"Are you two finished?" Hermione asked coolly.

Tonks glanced over her shoulder and saw Ginny narrow her eyes at Hermione; Ron, on the other hand, was staring at her with a slightly hurt expression on his face.

"Yes, we're finished, Miss Black," Ginny answered when it became apparent that Ron wasn't going to.

Hermione gave her head a slight nod, signaling that Ron and Ginny were dismissed. The two Weasleys immediately left the room in a flurry of robes and sheets that needed to be cleaned.

Tonks turned her attention back to Hermione and was just about to ask her why Ginny had called her 'Miss Black' when Hermione's icy demeanor melted into a smile and the younger girl rushed forward, throwing her arms around Tonks' neck.

"Oh, Dora, I'm so happy!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling away slightly to make eye contact with Tonks.

Tonks felt her lips pull into a nervous smile. "Why? What happened?" she asked.

"You and Draco!" Hermione answered. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet happily. "The whole house is talking about it."

"Merlin, no," Tonks groaned, covering her face with her hands. Hermione gently pulled them away.

"Don't worry about it; everyone's so happy. We had thought that you two didn't like each other. Your mothers were even thinking about calling off the wedding." Hermione's smile slipped briefly from her face. "They were talking about setting up an engagement between me and Draco if you two didn't work out." She scrunched her face with disgust and even stuck out her tongue.

"Yes, I suppose that would be horrible," Tonks replied, understanding why Hermione wouldn't want to marry Draco.

"Well, don't get me wrong," Hermione continued. "I love Draco and all. And he's handsome, and I'm sure he's great in bed, though, judging by your reaction this morning, Mum thinks he may not be. But Draco and I aren't blood, so the match wouldn't be as perfect as yours."

Tonks stomach turned in revulsion; she was definitely in a place where inbreeding was common.

"Besides," Hermione said, linking her arm with Tonks' and leading her out of Draco's bedroom and down the hall. "When Dad heard that you and Draco had accepted your engagement this morning, he immediately talked to James." Hermione stopped walking and turned towards Tonks, grabbing a hold of both of her hands; her face flushed with excitement. "Dora, Harry and I are getting engaged. Tonight. Mum and Dad are throwing a party and everything!"

Tonks blinked stupidly at Hermione. "Harry Potter?" she asked.

Hermione giggled. "Yes, of course. What other Harrys do we know?"

A loud thump sounded behind them and the two turned to see Ron picking up a bucket of cleaning supplies that he had dropped. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes as she turned back to Tonks and linked arms once again.

"He's so worthless," she whispered as they continued their trek down the hall.

Tonks glanced over her shoulder as she walked and sent a sympathetic wince to Ron, who was gazing at their retreating backs with his face contorted in frustration and hurt.

"I think he heard you," Tonks whispered once they had rounded the corner.

Hermione shrugged, unperturbed. "He's always stumbling over things and dropping stuff around me. He probably fancies me."

"And…" Tonks paused, biting her lip nervously. "And you don't fancy him back?"

Hermione turned a scandalized face towards her. "He's a _servant_!"

Anger welled in Tonks' chest at the tone of Hermione's voice. This wasn't the intelligent, bushy-haired girl that she knew.

"So what if he's a servant?" Tonks spat back. "He's still a nice enough bloke."

Hermione stopped and turned to stare at Tonks seriously. They were standing just outside of two large doors, and Tonks could hear the din of jovial conversation coming from within.

"Since when have you started carrying on conversations with the servants?" Hermione asked, gazing at her suspiciously.

"I haven't," Tonks replied. "It's just…" She raked her brain for an excuse that sounded feasible. "Well, he's never really done anything wrong, now has he?"

Hermione was silent for a few moments, her lips pulling into a thin line as she thought it over. "He's kind of bumbling when he works indoors. But he and his brothers are good about taking care of the gardens and animals," she conceded at last.

Tonks breathed a sigh of relief and made a mental note to keep her mouth shut until she found out more about her surroundings.

"But he's going to have to get over his little crush," Hermione continued as she pushed open one of the doors. "I'm going to be engaged within twelve hours."

Tonks followed Hermione into the room, and she had to literally bite her lip to keep from swearing: They were in a huge dining room, decorated in navy blues and emerald greens, the late morning sunshine spilling through the floor to ceiling windows onto the longest table Tonks had seen in her life. But that wasn't what had startled her; she had already realized that they were in a palatial manor. What had startled her were the people who filled the room.

Tonks saw her mother sitting at the end of the table, talking enthusiastically with Narcissa Malfoy. They clutched at one another's hands and occasionally threw their heads back in laughter. Sitting next to his wife and looking highly uninterested in the conversation was Lucius Malfoy. A little further down the table sat Harry Potter and, if Tonks wasn't mistaken, he was joined by his parents and, judging by the messy black hair and green eyes, siblings: two girls and a boy, all of whom looked a lot like Harry, though younger. The Longbottoms were there, as were the Parkinsons and other families that Tonks recognized. It appeared as though everyone who was anyone lived together in the manor.

"Dora, are you ok?"

Tonks turned to see Hermione gazing at her quizzically; she hadn't realized that the younger girl was still standing next to her.

"Yeah. Fine," she replied quickly, attempting a smile. "It's just…a weird morning."

Hermione eyed her suspiciously, as though she didn't quite believe her.

"Right. Well, I hope things are normal for tonight," she said. It sounded almost like a warning.

"Hermione, darling!"

Both Tonks and Hermione turned their heads to see Bellatrix standing across the room and waving Hermione over. Sirius Black was standing next to her, one hand resting on her lower back as he led her and a young boy closer to the table.

"Mum! Dad!" Hermione called out, leaving Tonks' side and rushing across the room happily to join Sirius and Bellatrix.

Tonks suddenly found it hard to breathe as she watched them. Hermione rushed up and threw her arms around both Sirius and Bellatrix before pulling away and bringing her hands to rest on the little boy's shoulders. Bellatrix smiled and appeared to be talking to Hermione, lovingly cupping her face in her hands as she did so. Sirius also smiled down at the two women, one of his hands stroking Hermione's hair. The little boy looked sickeningly like a perfect blend of Sirius and Bellatrix.

Tonks felt her knees go weak.

"Is this some stupid habit of yours?" a male voice whispered harshly in her ear as strong arms wrapped around her waist and kept her from falling.

Breathing deeply, Tonks glanced out of the corner of her eye to see that Draco was standing right behind her, his face looking straight ahead at Hermione, Sirius and Bellatrix. His arms remained around Tonks' waist, his chest against her back, allowing her to lean against him for support while her knees regained their strength. Tonks noted the hint of disgust on his face, but to everyone else in the room, it looked like a loving embrace between an engaged couple.

"They adopted her," Draco explained quietly, his head nodding slightly at Sirius and Bellatrix. "As the eldest Black cousins, they were betrothed at birth. From what I understand, neither of them were against the match." He swallowed hard, as if he were trying to keep the bile down.

"They had trouble conceiving, obviously," he continued. "When it looked like they weren't going to have any heirs of their own, they adopted her. Apparently a lot of Mudbl…" Draco's breath hitched in pain as Tonks surreptitiously elbowed him in the gut. His arms immediately left her waist and he took a step back. "Muggleborns," he corrected himself. "Apparently a lot of Muggleborns are abandoned by their parents. Their parents are scared of their magic. Sirius and Bellatrix adopted Hermione when she was two. We were already betrothed at the time, though if something was to happen to you, I would have been stuck with her," he ended, waving a hand in Hermione's direction.

Tonks raised an eyebrow. It appeared as though Draco saw marrying her as the lesser of two evils. Which was strange given the fact that they were related by blood.

"And the boy?" she asked, nodding at the small boy clinging to his mother and sister's dresses.

"He's theirs," Draco answered, nodding. "I mean, look at him. He just _looks_ inbred."

Tonks followed her cousin's gaze to the little boy. Draco was right; the boy was pale and looked so small and frail next to his healthy sister.

"His name's Castor," Draco said quickly, his eyes darting around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. "That's something that you should know. And Potter's younger siblings are Alex, Abigail and Hannah."

"How do you know all this?" Tonks asked at last, forgetting herself and raising her voice in shock.

Draco quickly shushed her.

"I'll tell you later," he spat.

Tonks' raised voice had gotten the attention of their mothers; both Andromeda and Narcissa had gotten up from the table and were walking over to them.

"Listen, do you know how we got here?" Draco asked quickly, his voice an urgent whisper.

Tonks shook her head, her own hopes crashing; Draco apparently had no clue how they had gotten there either.

"Whispering sweet nothings to one another?" Narcissa asked playfully, coming up behind her son and lovingly running her hand through his hair. Tonks stiffened as her own mother—almost unrecognizable in the elegant Wizarding robes—hugged her.

Draco forced a smile and nodded. Tonks did her best not to vomit.

"We can't tell you how pleased we are to see you two happy together," Andromeda commented, giving Tonks' shoulders a squeeze.

Tonks and Draco made eye contact briefly before looking away.

"We're going to head on outside. See you out there?" Narcissa asked, glancing between the two of them.

Draco, his mouth firmly closed, nodded.

"Great! See you in a little while, darlings!" the Malfoy matriarch said, taking a hold of her sister's arm and walking away.

Tonks looked at Draco questioningly.

"I have to play Quidditch with Potter," he admitted, his face screwed up with disgust.

"You've played Quidditch with him before."

"Not on the same team."

The two glanced over their shoulders to where Harry was still sitting at the table. The Potter boy caught their gaze and waved gregariously. Draco forced a small smile and waved back; he looked as though he had swallowed something sour.

"Listen," he said softly. "We'll talk more about this tonight. Until then just keep your head down and mouth closed. We can't look suspicious."

Tonks huffed and crossed her arms with indignation. "And how are you able to accept this so well, Malfoy?" She lowered her voice, leaning in closer to him so that no one would hear. "We're bloody engaged to each other. Our Aunt Bellatrix married our cousin Sirius and they adopted _Hermione Granger_, of all people, yet you can just stand there and act like it's all normal!"

A corner of Draco's lips pulled into a sly grin as he surveyed her. He shrugged his shoulders as he began to walk away. "I'm a Malfoy," he said, expecting that to be enough of an explanation. "See you tonight, _Dora_."

* * *

**End Author's Note:** The idea to have Bellatrix and Sirius adopt Hermione kind of came from another deleted fic too. I had this fic that I was writing called "Pop Disaster" which was my attempt to merge a bunch of different fandoms into one (and it was a disaster, just like the title suggests), and in it Hermione was adopted by Sirius. This fic is filled with ideas from past fics, it seems.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I think I forgot the disclaimer in the other chapters, so here it is: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Retarded**  
By Siriusly Amused

-

Chapter Three

Tonks smoothed down the front of her dress robes and turned slightly, staring at her reflection in the full length mirror dubiously. It wasn't something she would have picked for herself, but they didn't look half bad either. The silk robes were a deep plum color and clung to her curves, the back dipping dangerously low, her whole back displayed for the world to see.

"Now is not the time to look remotely attractive, Tonks."

Tonks sent a glare over her shoulder at her cousin. He was closing her bedroom door behind him, his blonde locks gelled back from his face and his shoulders looking even broader in his black dress robes. He met her glare head on, matching it with his own; he looked as frustrated and exhausted as Tonks felt.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you to knock?" she asked, turning back to the mirror. She gathered her long, wavy locks and brought them over one shoulder. Draco was right; she _did_ look remotely attractive, even without her Metamorphmagus ability. It was something she had never thought possible.

"You should pin your hair up," Draco said. He was still behind her, on the other side of the room, inching closer to a small pewter cauldron in which Tonks was brewing a potion. "It's more elegant that way," he explained before furrowing his brow at the potion.

"It's a sleeping draught," Tonks answered, though Draco hadn't asked. "I want to be knocked out tonight. I don't want to dream. I don't want to think. I just want to…" her words died on her lips.

She could see Draco in the mirror. He was sending her an almost sympathetic glance.

"And I'm keeping my hair down, you prat," Tonks added, noting with satisfaction that Draco's face had hardened into a scowl. It made her wonder what life would have been like if they had actually grown up together as cousins instead of strangers who just vaguely knew that they were related. She wondered for a few moments if they would have gotten along; then she shook the thoughts from her head and reached out to her dresser where a diamond necklace awaited her. She brought it to her neck and struggled with the clasp.

"A little help?" she asked.

Draco smirked and leaned against the wall. "I already offered my fashion expertise with the hair suggestion. You're on your own now."

Tonks scowled and cursed at him under her breath. After another moment of struggling, she gave up, placing the necklace back on the dresser. She preferred not having the pretentious jewelry anyway. She looked more humble without it.

"So," she said, turning to face Draco. "This morning. How did you figure all that stuff out about Bellatrix and Sirius?"

Draco's smirk intensified. "I'm not going to tell you."

"Have you forgotten that I'm an Auror, Malfoy?" Tonks threatened, reaching for her wand.

"Have you forgotten that I'm a Death Eater, Tonks?" Draco countered, raising an amused eyebrow as he stared her down.

Tonks glared at him for a few, drawn out seconds. It was true that he was a Death Eater, and he had managed to sneak other Death Eaters into Hogwarts, not to mention keep Madame Rosmerta under the Imperius Curse. While Tonks figured that she could probably take him in a duel, she resolved not to underestimate him: he wasn't as much of a spoiled coward as people claimed him to be. She lowered her wand and sighed.

"Look, Draco, you don't have to like me, but we are in this mess together." She gave him a pleading glance. "If we're ever to get out of it, we're going to have to work with each other."

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed, his broad shoulders—really, they hadn't been _that_ broad a year ago when she met him on the Hogwarts Express—slumping with defeat.

"Portraits," he said at last. "I didn't have anyone to lead me to the dining room, so I wandered around for a little while. And I came across a hall filled with portraits, and I recognized some of them from our family." He paused, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment over the mention of their family; it was the first time that he had verbally admitted that they were related. "Anyway, I pretended that I was drunk off my arse and asked them to amuse me with our family history."

"Impressive," Tonks nodded.

"I know," Draco replied.

For the briefest of moments, they shared a smile; then their faces hardened once again, as though they realized that they were sort of getting along.

"So…" Tonks said at last, drawing the word out. "Is there anything else I should know about our horribly messed up family?"

"Actually, there is," Draco said, his eyes widening as realization dawned upon him. He opened his mouth to inform Tonks about whatever it was, but he was prohibited by her bedroom door opening and Ginny Weasley entering.

"Oh, sorry," she apologized, her brown eyes shooting between Tonks and Draco. "I thought you were already at the party, Miss Black. I was just coming in to tidy up your bathroom."

Tonks immediately shot a guilty glance at her bathroom: wet towels and discarded clothes littered the floor, make up covered the vanity counter, and Tonks was certain that the sink had toothpaste in it. She hadn't realized that someone else would be cleaning up after her; if she had, she would have cleaned up after herself before Ginny came in.

"Thank you, Weasley. We'll be leaving now," Draco said harshly, grabbing Tonks before she could protest.

They walked down the hall in silence until Draco pulled her into his bedroom and shut the door.

"Draco, what the…?" Tonks asked, her eyes shooting around frantically, afraid that Draco was suddenly turned on by the whole incest thing.

"Your mother," Draco said unexpectedly.

Tonks blinked up at him. "Draco, this is hardly the time for 'Your mother' jokes! And besides, you're doing it wrong, you have to…"

Draco grabbed her shoulders urgently in an attempt to get her to shut up.

"She's married to Regulus," he said at last, his gray eyes looking directly at Tonks.

"Regulus?" she asked, the name ringing with familiarity.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Regulus Black. Sirius' brother? Honestly, did you ever even look at our family tree?"

"Actually, yes," Tonks spat back. "Though I really didn't pay much attention to it. I wasn't on it."

Draco released his hold on her and pulled back, though his eyes remained staring at her. "You would have been if your mother hadn't been blasted off of it."

"Actually, I wouldn't have. She was blasted off of it because of my father…because of me." Tonks paused, furrowing her brow as she thought. "Wait a second." She glanced back up at Draco. "Is Regulus my father in this world? I mean my biological father? Do you think?"

Draco stared at her for a long minute before shaking his head. "No; you don't look that much different than you did back in our world."

Tonks bit her lower lip in uncertainty. "Draco, I lost my Metamorphmagus ability. My eyes are gray instead of brown. My hair was not this nice chestnut shade back home! I mean, come on, you saw me when you were getting off of the Hogwarts Express last year! That's how I'm supposed to look!"

Draco's face darkened. "Oh yeah. You were the one who found Potter and sent him back to school when I tried so hard to get him to go back to London."

Tonks waved him off dismissively. "That's not important right now," she spat, drawing her arms around herself as the possibility of being Regulus Black's daughter surfaced in her mind. "Oh Merlin, what if _I'm_ inbred?"

"You're not," Draco said at once. Tonks glanced up at him, and he sighed, running a frustrated hand over his face as he did so. "You look too healthy to be inbred," he said at last. "And like I said, you still look like you. If Regulus was your father, you'd probably have darker features or something."

"But I _do_ have different features than what I did back…"

"You're three years younger," Draco spat suddenly, wincing as though he half expected her to hit him. Tonks blinked at him in confusion.

"What?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"The portraits," he said softly. "They said you were five when I was born. In this world at least. Back in our world, Mum had said you were fresh out of Hogwarts when I was entering my first year. So I assume you're supposed to be eight years older than me?"

Tonks nodded wordlessly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"So, I think you have the same biological father," Draco continued. "But you were conceived at a different time and therefore got different genes from your parents." Draco didn't voice that her mother must have had an affair; he didn't need to, the idea was already at the front of her mind.

"Your legs aren't going to give out again, are they?" Draco asked, eyeing her warily.

Tonks shook her head as she slowly gathered up her strength.

"No," she said. She sighed and grabbed his arm. "Come on. Let's go to the party."

They left his room and walked the halls of the manor silently; the weight of all that had happened to them that day resting heavily on their shoulders, making them feel absolutely exhausted.

"Oh piss it," Tonks swore under her breath once they had reached the ballroom and saw the couples spinning around on the dance floor.

"What now?" Draco spat.

"I'm complete shite at dancing."

Draco sighed. "Of course. You would be." He ran another frustrated hand over his face. "Well, we'll try to avoid it at all costs. Come on," he said, taking her hand in his own and leading her into the room and through the groups of people in search for their parents. Tonks was surprised at how gently his hand enveloped hers; she didn't know if it was a sign of tenderness or if he was disgusted with the fact that he was touching her. Probably the latter.

"Ah, there you are!" Andromeda greeted brightly once they had reached the group.

Tonks inhaled sharply when she saw that Regulus Black—or at least the man she presumed to be Regulus—had his arm firmly wrapped around her mother's waist. He was even sending Tonks a loving, fatherly smile. Draco gave Tonks' hand a little squeeze, though Tonks wasn't sure if he was trying to be reassuring or trying to warn her not to do anything stupid. Probably the latter.

Tonks obligingly leaned forward and allowed her mother to place a quick kiss upon her cheek.

"And where have you two been?" Narcissa Malfoy asked teasingly. "You missed Harry and Hermione's big announcement." She nodded to the far end of the ballroom where Harry and Hermione were wrapped up in each other. Tonks couldn't help but grimace with disgust, and she noted that Draco was doing the same. They tore their eyes away from the scene, both of them accepting glasses of wine.

Tonks half heartedly listened as the conversation turned to rehashing that afternoon's Quidditch match. Exhaustion had long since sunk into her limbs and the alcohol was doing nothing but making her mind sluggish and her eyelids heavy. She was so tired that she barely even noticed when Draco wrapped an arm around her waist, allowing her to lean against him. He did it to keep up appearances, she knew, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. He may have been a prat, but he was a sturdy prat, and leaning against him helped ease the exhaustion in her legs.

"YOU RUINED MY ROBES!"

Tonks' mind immediately snapped out of its sluggish state at the shout. Her eyes shot across the room to see Hermione staring furiously down at her white dress robes that were stained with wine. Fred Weasley, holding a tray of toppled glasses, was next to her, apologizing profusely; Harry was approaching him threateningly.

The rest of the family rushed over, Bellatrix and Sirius attempting to calm Hermione while the others watched on as Harry started reprimanding Fred.

Tonks took a step forward, intending to intervene on Fred's behalf, but Draco grabbed her wrist. She turned back and glared at him, and he shook his head in warning. Tonks didn't care. She twisted her wrist free of his grip and strode forward, listening to the fight as she approached.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, it was an accident," Fred pleaded seriously, taking a step back as Harry inched forward. Ron and George appeared behind Fred, though they kept their distance from their brother; they wouldn't fight for him; it would get the whole family in trouble.

"Accidents are always happening around you, Fred," Harry mentioned, and Tonks noted that he had used Fred's first name. Harry was angry, but he didn't seem to think of himself as overly superior. Tonks felt the tight knot of tension in her chest loosen slightly at the realization. "At the last party, Dumbledore's beard had caught fire, and you were standing next to him."

"I didn't do it," Fred assured, though Tonks swore she saw a playful gleam in his eye.

"And now wine glasses spill on Hermione's robes," Harry continued.

Fred opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say died on his lips; Harry had grabbed the front of his robes; it looked as though a fight might break out after all.

"Harry," Tonks said softly, placing her hand upon his shoulder.

All eyes immediately turned to her, and she had to keep from shaking with apprehension.

"He says it was an accident. Please leave him alone," Tonks asked.

Harry stared at her for a long moment before releasing Fred's robes and walking over to Hermione.

"Thank you, Miss Black," Fred said quickly before turning, collecting George and walking away. Ron stayed behind for a moment longer, his blue eyes scrutinizing Tonks before he slowly turned and followed his brothers.

Tonks released a breath that she didn't realize that she had been holding.

"That was very nice of you, dear," Andromeda commented, patting Tonks lightly on the shoulder. Tonks caught Draco's eye, then quickly looked away.

"I'm tired," she announced suddenly, her eyes scanning those around her. "I think I'm going to go to bed." She offered a smile to Harry and Hermione, noting that Hermione opted to hide the wine stains by plastering herself against Harry. "Congratulations, you two," she said.

Harry and Hermione's anger appeared to have abated at her words. They thanked her warmly and wished her a good night.

"Draco," Narcissa said suggestively. "See Dora to her room."

Chuckles rippled around the group, causing a blush to creep up Tonks' neck. Without saying a word, Draco stepped forward and led her through the dancing couples and out of the ballroom.

They walked in silence until they reached the door to her bedroom.

"It wasn't our problem," Draco said softly.

Tonks sighed and turned to face him. "I couldn't not do anything," she said.

Draco nodded; he looked almost as though he understood. "You're going to drive me insane," he said at last, his voice so low it was barely audible.

Tonks rolled her eyes in exasperation and made to turn and enter her bedroom, but Draco suddenly grabbed her arm, prohibiting from doing so. She glanced up at him questioningly and his gray eyes quickly looked to his right, indicating that she should glance over there. She did; her eyes slowly looking to see that a group of party goers were huddled down the hall, watching them and giggling amongst themselves. They had an audience and had to keep up appearances.

Draco quickly leaned down, his lips catching the corner of Tonks' mouth. When he pulled away, he looked as though he had swallowed something sour again, his face was so screwed up with distaste.

"G'night, Dora," he said, releasing his grip on her arm.

"G'night," she replied stonily.

She entered her room and closed the door in his face. After a moment of trying to keep her supper down, she walked over to where her sleeping draught was still brewing, grabbed a ladle and spooned some into a cup. She slipped out of her heels and walked over to her bed, sitting on the side of it and staring into the cup as though she thought it would reveal all the answers to her. Then, she downed the potion in one gulp and laid back in bed, hoping that she'd never wake up again.

* * *

**End Author's Note:** You know, my Author's Notes used to be epic, rambling things, and now I get to my Author's Notes and I think...there's really nothing I need to say here. It's very strange.


	4. Chapter 4

**Retarded**  
By Siriusly Amused

-

Chapter Four

"Miss Black?"

The voice barely reached her through the murky fog in her mind. The familiar ring of it taunted her, forcing her from the realms of unconsciousness. Tonks groaned, knitting her brow in frustration. She didn't want to wake up.

"Miss Black?" the voice called out again, a little louder and clearer.

"Piss off. I'm not Miss Black," Tonks mumbled sleepily, keeping her eyes closed.

"Um…Dora?" the voice pressed.

"What?" Tonks asked at last, sitting up in bed so quickly that her head collided with the person who had been hovering over her dubiously. "Ouch! Bloody! …Are you alright?" she asked. She brought a hand to cover her pounding forehead as she sent a worried stare at the young, redheaded man who had stumbled back from her bed, clutching his nose in pain.

"Yeah. Fine. Sorry. My fault," Ron replied quickly. He pulled his hands away from his nose, and Tonks saw that his entire face was red with embarrassment.

"No, no, it was my fault," Tonks replied, feeling her own face flush. "I should have watched where I was going. I'm sorry, Ron."

Ron's eyes widened slightly when she said his name, and Tonks remembered that he was unused to hearing it from her. Her blush intensified and she immediately broke eye contact with him, looking down at herself instead.

"Oh Merlin, I must look a mess," she commented when she realized that she was still wearing her dress robes from the night before. She hadn't even bothered to take her make up off, and she was sure that it had smeared across her face. Getting out of bed and walking across the room to her mirror confirmed this; she looked like a clown.

"Do you always sleep in the clothes from the day before?" Ron asked softly as Tonks used the Scourgify charm to clean her face.

"No, of course not," Tonks answered once she had siphoned away the suds from her face, leaving her face free of make up and feeling fresh. She then furrowed her brow and turned quizzically back to Ron, who was still standing at the side of her bed, his arms behind his back as he stared down at the floor.

"You don't normally wake me up," she commented. She didn't know for sure, but judging by how he was acting, this was a first.

"No," Ron admitted, the tips of his ears going pink. "I asked Ginny to tell Mum that she was going to wake you up today. Gin owes me one anyway."

"And why didn't you just tell your mum that you were going to wake me up?" Tonks asked. She cocked an amused eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, sending Ron a playful smirk as she did so.

Ron briefly made eye contact with her before turning away again, his entire face flushing pink.

"Male servants aren't supposed to wake you up," he said. "We might do something untoward or something. Not that I'm going to," he added urgently, looking at her once again with wide, sincere eyes.

"Of course not," Tonks replied, her lips pulling into a sly grin as she saw Ron's blush intensify. He was dressed in different robes; Tonks figured they were meant for outdoor work because they were lacking sleeves. Ron's bare arms were toned, freckled and scarred. He had Bill's face and height, and Charlie's muscles and scars; he was a perfect blend of Tonks' two childhood friends and just looking at him sent a wave of comfort over her.

Ron must have felt her gaze upon him because he suddenly cleared his throat and busied himself with making her bed.

"Oh, I can do that, Ron," she said at once. She really hated having the Weasleys wait on her.

"Thanks, but it's my job," Ron stated simply, keeping his eyes on the task in front of him.

Tonks came forward and helped him anyway. It made her feel slightly better.

"So," Tonks started conversationally in order to ease the tension between them. "Why did you want to wake me this morning? Seeing as you weren't planning on doing anything untoward to me."

She looked up and caught a hint of a smile playing across Ron's face as he folded back her sheets.

"I wanted to thank you for last night," he said at last. "Fred wants to thank you too, but he's not allowed in this part of the house anymore. You know. The flobberworm incident." Ron's voice trailed off and he smiled as he remembered whatever Fred had done with the flobberworms. Tonks almost wished that she had been there to see it.

"Well, if he wants to thank me personally, I can go to him," Tonks reasoned.

Ron's blue eyes widened in shock once more. Tonks sighed. She was getting really tired of everyone looking at her as though they hadn't realized that she had a heart.

"He's in the kitchens," he said at last.

Tonks nodded. "Well let me change really quick and then we'll go see him," she said, walking briskly over to her closet. Most of her outfits looked expensive and frilly, but towards the back she found some simple looking robes. She grabbed them and quickly cut across her room to the bathroom, telling Ron that she'd only be a minute.

She shrugged out of her dress robes and pulled the simple robes on in record time. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she made a face at herself; her long, wavy locks were bothersome, constantly falling in her face. She wished she had her Metamorphmagus ability so that she could make it short again. She wondered what the family would say if she cut it, but figured that they probably wouldn't be pleased, so she merely reached for a hair tie and pulled it back.

"Alright, let's go," she said as she left the bathroom.

Ron was standing in the furthest corner of her bedroom, his hands behind his back; he looked almost as though he was trying to make himself smaller, and he jumped at the sound of her voice. Tonks figured that he was probably nervous about being in her room. She offered him a warm smile and walked over to the door.

"Wait," Ron said suddenly, his hand reaching out to grab her wrist. She could feel the calluses under his rough skin. "We'll take the servant's entrance so no one will see us together." He led her over to the panel by her bed and pushed against it; it opened to reveal a narrow corridor.

"Will we get in trouble if we're seen together?" Tonks asked as she followed him, the panel closing behind them.

Ron stopped momentarily and turned to face her. He wore a look of disbelief on his face. "Yes," he stated simply before continuing onward.

"Oh. Okay," Tonks replied slowly. She followed Ron silently, her eyes fixated on his broad shoulders. The corridor twisted and turned around what Tonks supposed was the rooms of the manor; she caught snippets of conversation radiating through the walls, and she wondered whether the servants knew secrets by eavesdropping.

"Here we are," Ron said at last, leading her over to a door and pushing it forward. A wave of light and sound suddenly washed over them.

"FRED! IF I SEE ONE MORE BIRD POP OUT OF MY PIES, YOU'LL BE COOKING FOR YOURSELF FOR A WEEK!"

Tonks smiled widely at Mrs. Weasley's voice; it almost sounded like she was back home. She stepped out of the servants entrance with Ron, her eyes going wide at the sheer size of the kitchen: it was easily the size of a normal house, and it was filled with both food and people, all of whom grew silent and stared at her and Ron in shock. Mrs. Weasley in particular was shooting Ron a _What Did You Do?_ glare.

Tonks forced a smile and came forward. "Hi," she said, glancing around the room. The Weasley twins were sitting at the table with their father, half eaten sandwiches in front of them. Molly was fussing over some pastries. Ginny stood next to a blonde girl whom Tonks recognized as Luna Lovegood. The Abbots were cutting vegetables, and, standing by a large pot bowling over a fire, was a short, stout man whom Tonks vaguely recognized.

Ron was suddenly at her side, his face red with embarrassment as he tried to avoid his mother's angry gaze.

"Um, Ron brought me here to talk to Fred," Tonks explained.

Everyone's eyes went to the table where Fred immediately stood, brushing his robes down as he did so. He and George were dressed in the same sleeveless robes that Ron was wearing, their arms a little more toned and scarred than their younger brother's.

"Hey," Fred greeted softly, coming up to Tonks.

"Hi," Tonks echoed back.

Everyone's eyes were upon them, and Fred, for the first time in his life, appeared nervous, his hands fidgeting at his sides.

"So, uh," Fred continued, looking over her shoulder as though he was afraid she'd reprimand him for making eye contact with her. "Thanks for…last night."

"Don't mention it," Tonks replied affably. She punched Fred lightly on his upper arm; the gesture was enough for him to direct his blue eyes onto her in shock. Everyone was staring at them. The stout man by the boiling pot looked especially suspicious, his beady eyes narrowed to slits as he gazed directly at Tonks.

Tonks was just about to ask if she could make her own breakfast when the door to the kitchens burst open.

"There you are!" Draco exclaimed in what sounded like a relieved sigh. He strode forward, almost knocking over Ginny and Luna in his haste. He furrowed his brow in concern. "What are you doing in the kitchens?"

Fred and Ron had backed away from Tonks, as though they half expected Draco to punish them for standing too close to his fiancée. The rest of the kitchen erupted into a cacophony of sound as everyone else returned to what they had been doing, completely ignoring the fact that Draco and Tonks were standing amongst them.

"I wanted breakfast," Tonks lied. Draco raised a skeptical eyebrow; he didn't believe her.

"Well," he smiled, "you did miss breakfast in the dining room. But next time just have a servant bring you something."

His grip on her arm loosened as his hand made its way to the small of her back. He guided her gently to a nearby glass door that led out to the gardens.

"I have something I want to show you, Dora," he said. His voice was laced with sweetness, but Tonks detected a hidden frustration behind it. He was putting on a show again, making it appear as though they were a loving couple.

Tonks glanced longingly over her shoulder at the Weasleys as she walked through the door. Ron stood in between his brothers. He didn't look offended or even upset that she was leaving; that she wasn't even saying good bye. He did, however, look resigned to the fact that he was a servant.

"What is it that you want?" Tonks snapped as she and Draco stalked across the gardens. Draco's hand had returned to her wrist, and he was gripping it tightly as he led her through the foliage, the summer sun beating down upon them.

Draco stopped and turned so that he faced her, his eyes were narrow and scrutinizing as they roved up and down her frame.

"What are you wearing?" he asked. He looked appalled to be seen with someone who was wearing such simple robes. "I'm sure your closet is filled with dresses that look like the ones Hermione wears."

"Oh so she's Hermione now?" Tonks asked, placing her hands upon her hips. "What happened to Granger?"

"No one knows that's her real last name here," Draco explained in a strained whisper, as if he half expected someone to be listening in on their conversation.

"I do," Tonks replied. "You know, if I didn't know any better, Malfoy, I'd say that you're resigned to just stay in this effed up universe."

Draco blinked and took a step back, as though Tonks' words had dealt him a serious blow.

"What?" he hissed, stepping forward again, his face within inches of Tonks' as he glared down at her. "I'm the one who was up before dawn this morning, researching alternate universes in the library. I'm the one who's trying not to look suspicious!"

His voice and face softened suddenly.

"Tonks, they already suspect something's wrong with us. And not just because you've been skipping around, being kind to the servants and avoiding everyone else you should love."

Tonks winced as a jolt of realization shot through her chest. Draco was right: he was the one who was trying to work things out while she was the one who was avoiding the problem entirely, seeking refuge with the Weasleys.

"Our mannerisms are off," Draco continued. "We walk and talk differently than what the Draco and Tonks of this world did. We carry ourselves differently; we think differently!" He sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "It seems as though a lot of people are turning a blind eye to the fact that we're acting weird, but not everyone. Hermione's growing suspicious even though it's only been a day. She came up to me this morning at breakfast and mentioned how you and I act as though we're disgusted to be with each other."

"Incase you haven't noticed, Malfoy, we are disgusted to be with each other!" Tonks snapped.

"But we're not supposed to be!" he countered. "I know that sounds weird, but until we can figure out how to get back to our world, we're going to have to act in a way that doesn't draw attention to ourselves. Granger's a hell of a lot different in this world, but she's still annoyingly clever."

Tonks felt her shoulders slump with defeat. She hated the fact that Draco Malfoy was making sense.

"What if," she voiced, glancing up at him. His gray eyes latched onto hers curiously. "What if we left here?" Tonks asked. She felt excitement creep up her spine at the suggestion. She had no idea how to get back to their world, but that didn't mean that she and Draco had to stay at the manor and risk marrying each other.

"That's what we're trying to do!" Draco exclaimed. He rubbed a frustrated hand over his eyes, as though he were dealing with a small child. "We're trying to leave this place and go back to our own world!"

Tonks glared at her cousin and placed her hands on her hips. "I know that, you git! I was suggesting that we leave here, this manor! We can find a place somewhere where we don't have to get married. And then we can focus our attention on getting back home!"

Draco's face softened, his eyebrows disappearing into his blonde locks in surprise. "That's a…"

"…Ruddy horrible idea, actually."

Tonks and Draco both turned to see Ron creeping out from behind a rose bush, his face slightly flushed as though he was embarrassed for eavesdropping.

"Weasley!" Draco snapped, his voice dripping with dislike. "How long have you been listening?"

"Not long," Ron assured at once. His blush intensified under Draco's glare, and he dropped his eyes to his feet. "Alright, I heard most of it," he admitted

Draco swore under his breath and turned away. Tonks continued to stare at Ron, silently pleading with him not to reveal their secret. Ron eventually met her gaze, gracing her with a small smile as he did so.

"So you two are from a different world?" he asked. Tonks nodded. "That explains a lot, actually," Ron continued. He breathed in deeply, his shoulders rising with the sudden intake of breath; then he let it all out at once, his body visibly relaxing. He looked as though he was bracing himself for something. "You'll die if you leave the manor," he said at last, finally explaining why he thought Tonks' idea of leaving a bad one.

"What?" Tonks asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper as dread rose from her stomach and closed around her throat, prohibiting her from speaking properly.

"Here, I'll show you," Ron replied. He turned and started walking away, beckoning them to follow. Tonks took several steps forward before she realized that Draco wasn't beside her; he was still standing moodily with his back turned. She doubled back and forcibly grabbed the back collar of his robes, dragging him along.

"Let go, woman!" he snapped, his hands coming up to pry her fingers off.

Tonks relinquished him once she was certain that he'd continue to follow them. Ron was still several paces ahead of them, and he glanced over his shoulder somewhat sheepishly as he lead them through the garden.

"So, in your world…" the red head started, holding some branches out of the way as Tonks and Draco caught up to him, "…were we friends?"

Tonks opened her mouth to reply, but Draco beat her to it: "You two were," he said. "I avoided both of you like the plague."

Ron knitted his brow. "Weren't you two cousins in that world?"

"Yeah, but we weren't brought up together," Tonks answered, cutting Draco off before he could retort some more. "Our mothers had a bit of a falling out."

"So you weren't engaged?"

"No," Tonks and Draco replied adamantly at the same time. "Incest wasn't common in our world," Tonks explained. "At least not during the time period we were living in. It was deemed unhealthy."

They had reached a massive wall, built of white stone and rising well above a hundred feet. Tonks and Draco stared up at it as Ron gazed at them quizzically, obviously confused over the idea that incest was considered unhealthy. He pulled out his wand and waved it at the wall, causing an elevator door to appear in it. The door glided opened and the three entered.

"So you two think it's unhealthy to get married to one another?" Ron pressed as the elevator doors closed and the lift slowly started to rise.

Draco rolled his eyes and nodded, but Tonks bit her lip as she thought about it. "Well, not so much the act of getting married," she explained. "I think Draco and I could stand saying 'I do' and swapping rings if we had to. It's just…everything else that goes along with marriage. You know. Getting intimate and having children. That's what really bothers us."

The elevator doors opened, and the three of them stepped into what appeared to be a small observation room at the top of the wall: four large windows stood across from them, and Draco and Tonks slowly made their way closer to look outside. Tonks gasped as she took the scenery in: they were in London, but not the London she knew; this London lay in ruins, a sickly, yellow fog thickly covered the city and blocked out the sun; it looked as though just breathing in the fog would kill them.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

Ron was leaning against the wall, his hands shoved casually into the pockets of his robes. He glanced indifferently out of the window, as though he had seen the sight a thousand times and was no longer impressed by it.

"The Muggles called it the Cold War," he said. "Nearly annihilated themselves. Those that survived were forced to live underground. Us wizards formed communities and used charms to protect us from the elements." He looked back at them, his blue eyes showing almost sympathy. "So what are you two going to do?" he asked.

"Do about what?" Tonks said, her gaze not leaving the horrid sight in front of her.

"Well it's obvious you guys don't like each other very much. And you said you'd be disgusted to be intimate with each other. And…well…your wedding is in a week."

The announcement was enough to cause Tonks to tear her eyes away from the ruins of London. Draco continued to stand resolutely beside her, as though he already knew how soon their wedding day was. Perhaps it was the real reason he had searched her out that morning.

"Your families won't believe that you're from an alternate universe, and even if they do, they won't care," Ron continued. "Incest may not be common where you're from, but it's very important here. Toujours Pur and all that."

Draco turned away from the window, and he looked at Ron resolutely. "With any luck, we'll find our way out of this world before our effed up wedding day," he said. "Until then…we'll have to blend in." Draco made eye contact with Tonks very briefly before he tore his gaze away and looked back at Ron. "Weasley," he said sharply. "Tell us everything you know about…us."


	5. Chapter 5

**Retarded**_  
By Siriusly Amused_

-

Chapter Five

"How did I normally wear my hair?"

"I dunno. Like normal, I guess."

"Was it usually up? Down? Curly? Straight?"

"I don't know! Down, I guess. Sometimes up in twisty things. Listen, Miss Black…Dora…I didn't exactly pay all that much attention to you before you started talking to me. And I don't notice things like clothes and hair anyway."

Tonks sighed dejectedly and turned back to her mirror, looking at her outfit in a scrutinizing manner. The early morning sunshine made her bedroom uncomfortably warm, and she was already irritable at having to wake up so early anyway. Sleep was a welcome escape for her, allowing her to disappear to a place where she was still married to Remus Lupin and not engaged to her own cousin. The added frustration of having to dress herself in clothes she wouldn't normally wear in order to not look suspicious wasn't making her mood any better.

"You're no help, Ron," she sighed as she used a charm to pull her hair into an elaborate up do. She heard Ron mumble incomprehensibly behind her. He was sitting on her already made bed, flipping through a book about alternate universes and only half paying attention to her. Tonks sighed again. She couldn't take her frustrations out on him, not when he was trying to help.

"Are you done yet?" he asked lazily.

Tonks returned her gaze to her mirror and scrunched up her nose. "I can't wear this dress," she said at last, her hand flying to her back to unzip it. "It makes me feel like a doily."

"It makes you look like a doily," Ron quipped back. He glanced up from his book just as the dress fell to Tonk's ankles and for a moment they both froze, Ron's blue eyes wide as they roved up and down her frame. Tonks felt herself blush; she had put the dress on in the bathroom, but had forgotten whom she was with for a moment and was now standing in her underwear in front of her old friends' kid brother.

"Weasley, leave!"

Tonks and Ron both gave startled jumps as Draco entered the room, his gray eyes narrowed irritably. Ron raised a questioning eyebrow at Draco's harsh tone.

"We really weren't friends in your world, were we?" the red head asked as he stood from Tonks bed.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"No," he spat. "Now leave. Your presence annoys me, and I'm not too keen on someone finding you in my fiancé's room. It could lead to awkward questions."

Ron glared at Draco as he passed him. The red head made a rude hand gesture behind Draco's back, then disappeared behind the hidden servant's entrance door. Draco's gray eyes, still narrowed, shot over to Tonks briefly before he winced and turned away.

"For the love of all things holy, Tonks, put some damn clothes on!" he said.

Tonks immediately reached for the nearest dress that didn't resemble an old lady's home décor and pulled it on.

"Oh come on, Draco," she scolded as she forced her arms through the sleeves. "Bras and knickers are the same as bathing suits."

"Which is still more of you than I ever wanted to see. Are you decent yet?"

"Yes."

Draco turned slowly, as though he was almost scared to see her still in her underwear. His eyes glanced at her hair and dress briefly, and they widened slightly as something occurred to him.

"You look like Granger," he said softly.

Tonks knitted her brow in confusion momentarily as she glanced over her shoulder to see her reflection in the mirror. "It's the clothes," she replied dismissively, turning back to Draco. "I had Ron help me pick out some clothes that would look like something Hermione would wear."

"So that's why he was in your room?"

"Yes. Why did you think he was in my room?"

Draco shrugged, his eyes avoiding Tonks as he glanced around her room. "What you do with Weasleys in your bedroom is none of my business. Just make sure no one finds out."

Tonks felt as though she had been hit in the chest. Draco's suggestion of what he thought she and Ron were doing was enough to knock the wind right out of her lungs.

"Why you little prat!" she exclaimed, rushing forward, her hands slapping Draco's arms. "How dare you suggest that I would sleep with Ron! Especially when I'm already married to Remus!"

Draco, who had been grabbing at her wrists in an attempt to stop her from hitting him, suddenly blinked, his shoulders relaxing.

"Oh, right. I forgot you married the werewolf," he said, his voice loaded with disgust. "At least you didn't have any of his pups yet. We don't need more of his lot in the world."

The sound of her hand smacking across his face was sharp and resonated throughout her bedroom. She took a step closer to him, her face a mere few inches away from his. The pink swell on his cheek only made her anger increase.

"Don't you ever talk about him like that again," she ordered, her voice barely above a whisper. Draco met her glare with his own; Tonks could feel his anger radiating off of him along with his body heat.

"Oh! I'm not interrupting something, am I?"

Tonks turned her head, her eyes resting upon Hermione, who stood inside the doorway. In a different life, Tonks would have appreciated seeing Hermione, but now her insides twisted uncomfortably at the sight of the girl. Hermione looked rather pleased with herself, her lips pulling into the faintest smile, her eyes shining with glee to see the two of them fighting. She almost looked triumphant, as though she had confirmed a hypothesis.

"We were just having a lover's spat, Hermione," Draco said coolly. "I want Dora to stay with me the night before our wedding and she refuses." He graced the younger girl with a smile. "She says it's bad luck."

Hermione's lips thinned in disappointment for a brief moment before she offered Draco a wide, fake smile. "Of course it's bad luck, silly!" she said, playfully slapping Draco's arm. "Remember that story about the Riddle family all those years ago? They saw each other before the wedding day and several years later Tom Riddle had an affair and a baby with some cross-eyed servant girl. Of course they all had to be killed after that."

Tonks felt frozen in shock. It was strange that Voldemort hadn't crossed her mind once in the few days that she had been there. Strange that she hadn't wondered whether the Dark Lord had risen to power in that world. Even stranger to hear that he had been killed as an infant.

"But don't worry, Draco," Hermione said sweetly. "Your wedding night will be here soon enough." It sounded more like a threat than a promise.

Draco shook himself slightly, as though throwing off his own shock at hearing about Voldemort. He looked pale, almost sick.

"I'm sure it will be," he said, forcing a smile.

Tonks narrowed her eyes at him, her anger with him increasing as she took in his suddenly nervous manner. He was fidgeting, a light sweat breaking out on his forehead as though he was hiding something. Tonks tried to reason with herself by telling herself that his sudden shift in behavior was due to having to act in front of Hermione, but something in the pit of her stomach told her that Draco was hiding other secrets.

"Excuse me," he said suddenly, brushing past Hermione and leaving the room in a hurry. Hermione turned and watched him go, a line forming between her eyebrows in confusion.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked.

Tonks forced her lips to pull into a slight smile. "Oh, you know, he's probably just upset over not getting his way about the night before our wedding."

"He always was the baby out of us three," Hermione agreed, her own smile crossing her features. Her brown eyes surveyed Tonks in a scrutinizing manner. "Everything _is_ alright between you two, right?" she asked, taking a step closer.

The hair on Tonks' arms rose in alarm as she shied away from Hermione's stare. "Of course," Tonks replied. "You know we have our differences, but…we love each other."

Hermione didn't reply right away; she pursed her lips and continued to stare at Tonks, her eyes roving up and down Tonks' frame like an x-ray.

"Good," she said at last. "You two belong with each other."

The words hung heavily in the air as Hermione turned and walked out of the room, leaving Tonks to her own frustrations.

"Bloody fucking hell," she swore under her breath, leaning against her wardrobe for support. She turned towards her mirror and glared at her reflection. Draco was right; her clothes and hair did make her look exceedingly like Hermione. Not the Hermione that Tonks knew and loved back home, but the cold and calculating Hermione who was raised by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Without thinking, Tonks grabbed her wand and used it to take her hair down from the up do she had put it in. The locks fell around her face in elegant waves, infuriating Tonks more; she hated that she didn't even look like her former self. She was stuck in a world where everyone she loved was sick and twisted, and the only sane person around her was Draco Malfoy. And she just couldn't stand him and his elitist attitude.

She sighed once again and reached for the zipper of her dress; she was going to change back into her nightgown and spend the day in bed.

"Dora, darling!"

Her hand froze at the voice just outside her door. It was her mother. Or at least she thought it was her mother; Andromeda's voice sounded so much like her sisters' that Tonks couldn't be sure.

"Dora it's time for cake tasting! That Weasley woman has all the possible cakes for your wedding set up in the dining room. Draco said he'd let you choose. Come down whenever you're ready!"

Footsteps signaled that Andromeda had walked away from the door. Tonks groaned, covering her face with her hands. The last thing she wanted to do was pretend to happily pick out her wedding cake. Especially if it was the cake for her and her cousin's wedding. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't.

But she had to keep up appearances. If the story about the Riddle family was true, then she and Draco couldn't afford to have people grow suspicious of them. She sighed and made her way down to the dining room where she was greeted with a table loaded with cake, and her mother and aunts fussing around it and randomly erupting into giggles. Tonks groaned and took several steps towards the table.

"There she is!" Andromeda exclaimed, rushing towards Tonks and ushering her to the table. "Sit down, love. We've got many cakes to try!"

"Oh wonderful," Tonks replied dryly. She gazed at all the mini wedding cakes and tried not to show her disappointment. Luckily for her, however, she didn't have to do much. Just open her mouth and allow her mother and aunts to giddily spoon feed her an assortment of cakes. Occasionally she'd smile and "mmm" her appreciation, but mostly she just sat there while her relatives clucked around her like mother hens. By mid afternoon it was all over, and Tonks stepped out of the manor and into the bright sunshine and fresh air of the outdoors.

She walked for hours, mulling everything that was happening to her over and over in her head. It was hard to believe that only a few days ago she had been happily married to Remus Lupin and planning Harry's recue mission along with the other members of the Order. Now she was stuck in some sort of limbo, planning her wedding to a cousin who just so happened to also be a Death Eater.

She had no idea what to do about Draco. They needed to work together if they wanted to get out of there, but they were so opposite in their beliefs that Tonks didn't know how she could work with him. She doubted they'd be able to agree on anything.

"Oh I'm sure we can find something we agree on."

Tonks stopped walking, her eyes shooting up from the ground to see Draco standing in front of her. He was clad in Quidditch robes and had a broom over his shoulder, his hands resting on top of it, making him look almost like a crucified martyr. His longish blonde hair whipped around his face in the wind, and Tonks was surprised to find that a storm had approached while she was lost in her thoughts. The sky was dark and angry, and Tonks could see hints of lightning in the distance. The atmosphere only enhanced her anger with her cousin.

"You're a Legilimens?" she asked, a sardonic chuckle escaping her lips. She should have known.

Draco shrugged. "I'm not that good at it, but you were sort of projecting your thoughts there. Didn't they ever teach you Occlumency during your big, bad Auror training?"

Tonks narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Yes, but I'm not all that great at sealing myself off from people." She paused, her eyes looking Draco up and down. "Are you?"

He smirked. "I'm able to live in the same house and He Who Shall Not Be Named. What do you think?"

"I think you're a prat," she said, ignoring the fact that Draco had just given her the whereabouts of He Who Shall Not Be Named. She walked forward and pushed passed him, not knowing or caring where she was going but only wanting to get away from him.

"Tonks," he said, his hand coming out and circling her wrist. "Listen…"

"No you listen!" she spat, turning to face him angrily. "I may be stuck with you here, but I don't have to like you and I sure as hell don't have to listen to you! If you think Remus is a dirty halfbreed, then fine! I can't change your mind, but I sure as hell don't have to listen to you insult him!"

Draco winced slightly, and a series of emotions passed over his eyes so quickly that Tonks couldn't recognize them. She was slightly taken aback; she hadn't expected Draco to be able to feel anything.

"Tonks," he said, his voice pleading.

"Shut up!" Tonks spat back, infuriated over his use of her familiar name. She yanked her wrist from his grasp. It was raining then, and the drops rolled down her cheeks, making it appear that she was crying. She might have been; she was so upset that she couldn't tell. She gazed at her cousin for a long time, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath. "Listen, Malfoy," she said, her voice a bit quieter but not kinder. "Don't you dare talk to me again unless you have some idea of how to get back. Because that's the only thing I'll listen to."

He was glaring at her, his gray eyes mere slits, his arms crossed over his chest. He called her name out again, but Tonks had no intention of sticking around and listening to him. She took a step forward, turned on the spot and envisioned her bedroom.

Then she screamed as a horrible pain erupted across her stomach.

* * *

**End Author's Note:** Sorry about the delay for this chapter. I started writing, but wasn't happy with what I had. So I put it down for awhile. And then the other night we had a blackout and, with nothing better to do, I just opened up a Word document and came out with this. I'm really pleased with this chapter because it's so much better than the first chapter 5 that I had written. I know that, other than their fighting, nothing much has happened in this chapter, but I managed to set up somethings that needed setting up, so I'm very content with it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Retarded**_  
By Siriusly Amused_

-

Chapter Six

At first, Tonks thought that it was all over. All she saw was black and all she heard was the buzzing in her own ears. She didn't feel pain, only exhaustion, her limbs so heavy that she wondered how she was ever able to move them. Then light seeped in, and Tonks realized that she had opened her eyes very slightly. Blurred colors blended together as her eyes tried to adjust. A voice reached her ears. It was warm and familiar, though not the voice that she wanted to hear.

"Ron?" she asked thickly.

The red head's face became clearer as Tonks became more conscious. He offered her a lopsided grin, his blue eyes shining with relief.

"Um, yeah," he said slowly, almost sheepishly. "I forgot to tell you: You can't Apparate within the wall." He paused as his facial features pulled into a thoughtful expression. "Well you can in designated areas, but…"

Tonks cut him off with a groan, her hand coming to rest upon her stomach; she felt bandages through her clothes. "I splinched myself?" she asked.

Ron nodded. "Good thing Draco was there though," he added, turning his head to look behind himself. Tonks followed Ron's gaze to a dark corner on the opposite side of the room where Draco was standing with his arms crossed moodily over his chest. He was still clad in a green t-shirt and white Quidditch pants, though his Quidditch robes were missing. Her eyes found the robes in a bloody clump on the floor. It was then that she realized that she was not in the manor; the room that they were in was small and quaint, with wooden walls and floors; the bed that she was laying on was covered with a homemade quilt. They were in one of the servant cabins that were a mile away from the manor.

"He not only brought you here, but he also gave you some of his blood; you had lost a lot in the splinching," Ron continued.

"What?" Tonks asked softly. She felt her jaw slacken in shock: Draco had saved her life twice over. Her eyes shot back to her cousin. He sighed and uncrossed his arms, and Tonks saw bandages holding a cotton ball to his inner arm.

"Yeah. Lucky you two have the same blood type, eh?" Ron quipped. His smile faded when he realized that they weren't laughing. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted himself off of the bed. "We already contacted the main house," he continued in a much more formal voice, becoming a servant once again. "It's still raining pretty heavily, so we told them that you two will stay with us tonight. Mum's making supper now. I'll bring two trays in when it's ready." He looked at Tonks then at Draco, his eyes shining with some unspoken warning before he backed out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving them in a heated and uncomfortable silence. Tonks was the first to break it.

"Draco, I…" She paused, clamping her mouth shut. She had almost apologized to him. Out of habit, she had wanted to say that she was sorry for the trouble she had caused, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. She was justified in her anger earlier, and if she had known that she couldn't Apparate, she wouldn't have.

Draco raised an inquisitive eyebrow, his arms crossed once more as he stared at her. She had his full attention; he was listening, waiting for her to say whatever it was she wanted to say. Tonks slumped back into her pillows, feeling defeated.

"Why did you do it?" she asked at last.

His faced hardened. "Do what?" he asked, turning away from her to stare out of the window. Tonks noticed the rain running down the glass and, after a few seconds, a flash of lightning illuminated the trees outside of the cabin. She wondered vaguely how a storm could get past the charms over the community.

"You saved me," Tonks said at last. She noticed Draco's shoulders tense at the admittance.

"What? You think I'm incapable of saving people?" He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted into a scowl. "Don't you remember last year, Tonks? I'm not incapable of saving people; I'm incapable of _killing_ people! …I couldn't kill Dumbledore!"

"Leaving someone to die is much different than using Avada Kedavra on them," Tonks said softly. "You didn't leave me there. You saved me. Twice." Tonks eyes fell upon the bandage around his arm.

Draco sneered at her. "I saved you because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you had died. Guilt aside, they probably would make me marry Granger if you were gone. Don't get all sentimental thinking that I saved you because I actually care for you. I don't." He turned away from her again.

Tonks felt a pang stab through her chest as disappointment washed over her.

"Selfish prick," she whispered as she settled back against her pillows. She saw Draco twitch out of the corner of her eye, and she felt a vindictive pleasure spread throughout her body, knowing that her insult had hurt him.

"It comes with the territory of being a spoiled only child," Draco said at last.

"_I'm_ a spoiled only child too, you know!" Tonks said vehemently. She got up from the bed, surprised that she didn't feel any pain from her splinching; Molly must have fixed her up good.

Draco shifted uncomfortably, keeping his back to her. "Yes, but you were raised differently than me."

"That doesn't mean we can't get along!" she exclaimed. She went up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Draco…"

He pulled away from her as if he had been burned. "Don't touch me!" His eyes shone with a hatred that Tonks didn't think the boy was capable of. Indifference, sure. Dislike, maybe. But how could he hate her? He didn't even know her!

He took a step closer to her, his face mere inches away as he leaned over her. Tonks straightened resolutely, ready to take whatever he threw at her.

"Did you ever have to talk to our dear Aunt Bellatrix?" he asked.

Tonks scoffed. "Of course I have! I talked to her this morning. She was shoving cake in my face!"

"Not her!" he spat, screwing his face up with frustration. "That woman isn't our aunt. I'm talking about our real aunt. The one that murdered Sirius, not married him!"

Tonks clamped her mouth shut and shook her head.

"Lucky you. Do you want to know why I insulted Lupin this morning?"

Tonks tried to push passed him, but his hands clamped around her arms, prohibiting her from doing so. "I don't want to hear why you insulted him, Malfoy," she spat, glaring up at him.

"Too bad," he replied. "Before this summer, I had nothing against you, Tonks. You and your parents may have been traitors, but you were still family. Technically."

Tonks was surprised; she had no idea that Draco had acknowledged their relation before.

"But then you went and married that halfbreed, Lupin! Which, at first I didn't care about. He obviously favored Potter, which was annoying, but all our professors favored Potter, so it wasn't anything new. And other than that, he wasn't a bad professor. And as much as I like to sneer at halfbreeds, he was too much of a human for me to see him that way. So I initially didn't care that you had married him!" Draco paused, screwing up his face with distaste. "Hell, I even thought it was kind of cute!"

Tonks blinked. "Cute?"

"Shut up; I'm not done yet!" He inhaled deeply, as though gathering strength. "Voldemort used your marriage to Lupin and our blood relation to you as a way to shame us. My parents and I were used to his abuses, but Bellatrix wasn't. She couldn't take her rage over your marriage out on you…so guess who got the brunt of it?" He released his grip on her and turned away, his hands coming to pull at his hair.

"She…she used Crucio on you?" Tonks asked.

Draco turned back around, his lips twisted into a sick grin. "No. She made me, her weak little nephew, use Crucio on people I didn't even know. She took pleasure out of it. Would laugh her arse off watching me torture people. She never looked at the people I was torturing. She liked watching me. She liked to see how painful it was for me to do it." He paused, his eyes sizing her up. "What were you doing on your 17th birthday, Tonks? Opening presents with your family? Hanging out with your friends? Want to know where I was on my 17th birthday?"

Tonks shook her head ardently, but Draco paid her no attention.

"I was being violently sick in my own garden. Right next to some girl who I had tortured within an inch of her life. And our _aunt_ was laughing at me. And my mother was crying because she didn't want to see me like that. And my father wouldn't _do anything_. And the whole time, all I could think about was how fucking lucky you were!"

Tonks stared into Draco's eyes for a brief moment before turning away; she was blinking away tears. "I'm sorry, Draco," she said softly, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, I am. But it's not my fault! I had no idea that you guys even acknowledged that I was family! If I had known that my marriage was going to hurt you like that, I would have…"

"You would have what?" he asked. "Not have married him? Kept the marriage quiet?" He chuckled derisively. "You wouldn't have done a _thing_, Tonks."

"You don't know that," she whispered, keeping her eyes on the floor because she knew deep down that Draco was right.

"Oh please," Draco spat. "You married him even though it put your parents in the spotlight. Stupid thing to do when your dad's Muggleborn."

Tonks felt sick. She hated that Draco Malfoy was bringing up her ugliest faults and that she couldn't even contradict him because everything he was saying was true. She heard him sigh, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"This isn't going exactly how I wanted it to," he said unexpectedly. Tonks looked at him, confused at the sudden change in his voice.

"What?" she asked.

"You're right when you said that everything—all the shit that happened to me—isn't your fault. It isn't and logically I know that I shouldn't blame you for them, but I do. Every time I look at you, I get so pissed off. Because I see you and I think how lucky you were that your parents ran away and went into hiding during the war. Because I see you and I remember that you're inadvertently the reason why I've spent the past month torturing people. And it's not fair to you and I know that and I've been trying to see past that and just…I don't know…get to know you. Or something. But every time I do, you just…ignore me and run off to Weasley…or you get so upset when I let one little insult slip!"

Draco broke off, bringing his hand to run through his light hair. He leaned back against the wall and sank down to the floor, bringing his knees up and resting his arms on them, his head back against the wall. Tonks cautiously walked over and sat down next to him; she ignored the slight shiver that rippled over him as their shoulders brushed.

"I overreacted. I'm sorry," she apologized. "And I know I haven't been much help either. I was trying to change that. That's why I got up so early this morning and had Ron help me pick something out to wear. I was trying to look and act like how…_she_…would have. I was going to go to the library and help you research and…I dunno. Hold your hand in front of our parents or something. But then you came in and we got into that fight and…" She paused, taking a deep breath and letting the air out slowly. "I want to like you, Draco."

He turned and stared at her, his gray eyes locking onto hers. "You're not lying," he said at last.

"After what we just went through, I think we're past lies."

His jaw tensed as he gnashed his teeth. He glanced away from her. "I want to not hate you, Tonks."

She laughed softly. "It's a start, I guess." Her grin widened when she saw Draco's lips twist upwards slightly. "I was wrong," she continued, keeping her eyes on her cousin. He turned back to her.

"About what?"

"About us not agreeing on anything. We both agree that our Aunt Bellatrix is a bitch."

Draco did smile at that; he even laughed slightly. "And we both agree that we need to get out of here before they marry us," he added. "And if we can't…"

"Then we both agree to get really, really drunk for our wedding," Tonks finished, nodding.

"Very drunk," he agreed.

* * *

**End Author's Note:** Draco, shut your mouth. Jeez, he just let it all out in this chapter. I actually think that Draco and Tonks are slightly OOC in this story, but I don't care all that much. Their fight was fun, and I'm almost sad to see them (slightly) reconciled, but it's time to move on. I don't think they'll ever be best friends, but I also don't think that two people can go through something like this and not form some kind of bond.


End file.
